By Erin Mihalik, JD, MPA, Director of Operations | Article History
If you have witnessed animal cruelty in Vietnam, seen dogs in cages, come across animals being transported in shocking conditions, or wondered how to help, you are not alone.
Every week, Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue hears from people who are deeply distressed by what they have seen. Some contact us after visiting Hoi An or Da Nang. Others write to us after traveling through Hanoi, Ha Giang, or other parts of the country, where they have seen dogs confined for meat, pigs and chickens transported in cruel conditions, or injured animals left untreated.
These experiences can leave people feeling horrified, helpless, angry, and heartbroken. We understand. We feel those things too.
This FAQ brings together the questions we are asked most often about VAAR, the realities of animal rescue in Vietnam, our practical limits, our values, and the many ways people can help. We hope it gives readers honest answers, meaningful context, and a clearer path forward.
Topics and Quick Links
- About Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue (VAAR)
- What is VAAR?
- What does anti-speciesism mean?
- Why is VAAR vegan?
- Why does VAAR describe itself as anti-speciesist if many people mainly focus on dogs and cats?
- Our Shelter Policies and Limits
- Do you take visitors?
- Can VAAR help animals anywhere in Vietnam?
- Why can’t VAAR help animals outside Hoi An and Da Nang?
- Are you currently accepting animals?
- Can VAAR confiscate abused animals?
- Can the authorities intervene in animal cruelty cases?
- Can VAAR help with veterinary emergencies?
- What to Do If You Witness Animal Cruelty in Vietnam
- I saw a dog in a cage outside Hanoi. Can VAAR help?
- I saw animals packed into terrible transportation cages. What can I do?
- I saw dogs at a dog meat site. What should I do?
- I saw a badly injured dog or puppy outside your area. Can VAAR step in?
- Should I send VAAR photos and videos of animal cruelty from outside your area?
- Why doesn’t someone just shut these places down?
- Why Rescue Groups Are Overwhelmed in Vietnam
- Why are rescues in Vietnam so overwhelmed?
- Why does capacity matter so much?
- How You Can Help Animals in Vietnam
- What is the best way to help animals in Vietnam?
- Why should I donate instead of just reporting what I saw?
- Should I make a one-time donation or a monthly donation?
- I don’t have much money. Can I still help?
- I don’t live in Vietnam and have time but not money. How can I support VAAR?
- I have money but not time. What should I do?
- Can I foster or adopt?
- Veganism, Animal Ethics, and Moral Consistency
- Why should I be vegan if I love animals?
- Isn’t veganism too extreme?
- I don’t support dog meat, but I eat other animals. Isn’t that different?
- What does “save an animal at every meal” mean?
- I’m not vegan. Can I still support your work or collaborate with you?
- Working With VAAR
- Can I volunteer remotely?
- Can I collaborate with VAAR on a blog or social media project?
- Why do rescue groups need fundraising help so badly?
- How Local and International Businesses, Schools, and Other Organizations Can Help
- General Information
- I’m a local business in Central Vietnam. How can I support VAAR?
- I run an organization in Vietnam, but outside Da Nang and Hoi An. How can I help?
- I have an international business, and I’d like to help. What are my options?
- I work for an animal rescue or animal-focused nonprofit in Vietnam. Can we collaborate?
- I work for an animal rescue or animal-focused nonprofit outside Vietnam. Can we collaborate?
- I’m associated with an organization that holds similar values and would love to create a local fundraiser/campaign. Will VAAR collaborate with us?
- I’d love for someone from VAAR to speak to my school, church, group, or organization.
- What kinds of partnerships are most helpful to VAAR?
- How should businesses or organizations contact VAAR about collaboration?
- How to Stay Connected and Take Action
- How can I support VAAR right now?
- Why should I join your newsletter or follow your social media?
- Final Thoughts
- Help VAAR Reduce Animal Suffering in Vietnam
The following are answers to some of our frequently asked questions about animal rescue in Vietnam and how you can support our work.
About Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue (VAAR)
People often first find VAAR because they are looking for help for a specific animal. But to understand our work fully, it also helps to understand our philosophy, our identity, and why we do what we do the way we do.
What is VAAR?
Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue, or VAAR, is Vietnam’s only vegan anti-speciesist animal shelter. We rescue and care for animals in need, advocate for a more compassionate world, and challenge the idea that some animals deserve protection while others do not.
Our work is grounded in the belief that suffering matters no matter which species experiences it.
What does anti-speciesism mean?
Anti-speciesism means rejecting the idea that one species deserves moral concern while another does not. In practical terms, it means opposing cruelty and exploitation toward all animals, whether they are dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, monkeys, birds, or others.
At VAAR, we believe it is inconsistent to grieve one animal’s suffering while ignoring the suffering of another simply because of species.
Why is VAAR vegan?
Because our mission is to reduce animal suffering, veganism is a natural extension of our values.
We cannot meaningfully oppose cruelty to dogs and cats while overlooking the suffering of pigs, chickens, cows, fish, and other animals used for food or other human purposes. For us, veganism is about living in a way that reflects compassion, consistency, and justice for animals.
Why does VAAR describe itself as anti-speciesist if many people mainly focus on dogs and cats?
Many people first connect emotionally to the suffering of dogs and cats because those are the animals they know best. We understand that. But part of our role is to encourage people to widen their circle of compassion.
If it is wrong for a dog to be caged, neglected, injured, or killed for human use, then we must ask why it would be acceptable for the same to happen to a pig, chicken, cow, fish, or any other sentient being.
That is why anti-speciesism and veganism matter.
Our Shelter Policies and Limits
One of the hardest parts of rescue work is that compassion and capacity are not the same thing. We care deeply, but there are serious limits on what we can legally and practically do, especially with the resources currently available to us.
Do you take visitors?
Sometimes. However, we do not take visitors without an appointment.
That policy exists to protect the animals, staff, and the daily functioning of the shelter. Rescue spaces are not tourist attractions; they are working environments where animals often need calm, predictability, and careful routines.
Can VAAR help animals anywhere in Vietnam?
No. Generally, we can only assist animals in Hoi An and Da Nang. However, if you have a specific actionable request outside our area, we may be able to refer you to another local rescue that might help.
We regularly receive messages from people who have witnessed animal suffering in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Giang, Ninh Binh, and many other places. And each of these messages breaks our hearts. We understand why they reach out, but we simply do not have the resources, staffing, or local reach to respond nationwide.
Why can’t VAAR help animals outside Hoi An and Da Nang?
Because we are a small rescue with limited staff, space, transport capacity, and funding. Even helping animals within our own service area pushes us beyond our limits.
This is one of the hardest things for people to understand when they contact us after seeing suffering elsewhere in Vietnam. Compassion does not automatically create capacity. Rescue work requires land, food, medicine, transport, staffing, emergency care, and money. Without those things, even the deepest concern cannot become direct intervention.
Are you currently accepting animals?
No. We are at full capacity and cannot take in more animals at this time. As soon as we have space, a new animal takes the opening almost instantly. The need in Vietnam is overwhelming.
We are also preparing to move our shelter to a smaller facility in the coming months, which makes our intake limits even more serious. This is one reason we so often encourage fostering and adoption; they help free up desperately needed space.
Sometimes we collaborate with local organizations or volunteers to find foster homes or creative solutions. If it’s an issue in our area, please contact us.
Can VAAR confiscate abused animals?
No. We have no legal authority to confiscate animals.
This is one of the most painful realities behind many of the messages we receive. People often assume that if a situation is clearly cruel, a rescue group should be able to step in and remove the animals. But rescues are not law enforcement agencies, and we cannot simply seize animals from private property.
Can the authorities intervene in animal cruelty cases?
Can they and will they are two separate questions. Generally, the practical answer is no.
There are currently no applicable animal welfare laws that authorities will act on in the way many foreigners expect. People often contact us believing there must be a hotline, an inspector, or a government office that can shut down obvious cruelty. In most situations, that is not the reality.
It is devastating, but it’s important to be honest about it.
Can VAAR help with veterinary emergencies?
We no longer operate a vet clinic. At this time, we are unable to help with veterinary emergencies.
If you are in our region and need urgent veterinary care, we recommend contacting Paws International Clinic in Da Nang.
What to Do If You Witness Animal Cruelty in Vietnam
Many of the messages we receive come from travelers, expats, and local residents who have seen something distressing and want to act immediately. These questions reflect both the reality on the ground and the painful limits of intervention in many cases.
I saw a dog in a cage outside Hanoi. Can VAAR help?
Unfortunately, no. We cannot assist animals outside Hoi An and Da Nang (Central Vietnam).
We understand how upsetting it is to see a dog confined in those conditions, especially when you are traveling and feel powerless. But our rescue does not have the legal authority, transport network, funding, or national coverage to intervene in cases outside our area. Please search for local rescue groups in these areas.
I saw animals packed into terrible transportation cages. What can I do?
First, know that your reaction is valid. These scenes are deeply distressing.
In most cases, there is little immediate intervention available, especially if you are outside our area. What you can do is document responsibly, prioritize your safety, and turn what you witnessed into support for longer-term change.
That may mean donating to an animal rescue in Vietnam, sharing educational content, speaking honestly about what you saw, or collaborating with advocacy groups on awareness and fundraising efforts.
I saw dogs at a dog meat site. What should I do?
This is one of the most traumatic things many travelers witness in Vietnam, and we understand why people feel desperate to do something immediately.
But in practical terms, rescue groups usually cannot simply enter these sites and remove animals. We do not have legal authority to confiscate animals, and authorities generally do not intervene in the way people hope.
What people can do is turn that shock into meaningful action. Support rescue groups. Share what you witnessed responsibly. Help fund organizations already working to reduce suffering and expand their capacity to respond.
I saw a badly injured dog or puppy outside your area. Can VAAR step in?
We are heartbroken by these messages, but if the animal is outside Hoi An or Da Nang, we are usually unable to intervene directly.
The truth is that rescue groups in Vietnam are extremely limited in number and capacity. Most are constantly overwhelmed by local need. That is why expanding rescue capacity is so important; without it, animals continue to fall through the cracks.
Should I send VAAR photos and videos of animal cruelty from outside your area?
You may, but please understand that we often cannot act on them directly if the case is outside Hoi An or Da Nang.
That said, documentation can sometimes still help with advocacy, awareness, or future fundraising efforts. If you have especially strong material and want to use it constructively, we may be open to collaborating on a social media or blog project that helps educate others and raise support for animal rescue work in Vietnam.
Why doesn’t someone just shut these places down?
Because outrage is not the same as legal power.
Many people assume that obviously cruel conditions must violate some enforceable standard. But in reality, legal protections for animals are extremely limited, and enforcement is weaker still. This leaves rescues, activists, and compassionate individuals trying to fill a gap that should never have existed.
Why Rescue Groups Are Overwhelmed in Vietnam
People are often shocked not only by the suffering they witness, but by how few organizations are available to respond. The scale of need is enormous, while rescue capacity remains painfully small.
Why are rescues in Vietnam so overwhelmed?
Because the need is enormous and the resources are not. There are very few animal rescues operating in Vietnam, given the scale of the suffering. Those that do exist are usually operating under constant financial pressure, with limited space, limited staff, and more urgent cases than they can realistically take on.
People often see the cruelty and assume the main problem is a lack of concern. Concern is not the problem. Capacity is.
Why does capacity matter so much?
Because capacity is what turns compassion into action. If rescues do not have enough space, staff, food, medicine, vehicles, land, or money, they cannot take in more animals, treat more injuries, or respond to more emergencies. This is why funding matters so much. It is not separate from rescue work; it is what makes rescue work possible.
How You Can Help Animals in Vietnam
When people realize how limited direct intervention can be, they often ask what meaningful help actually looks like. The good news is that there are still many important ways to support animals and strengthen rescue work in Vietnam.
What is the best way to help animals in Vietnam?
The best way to help is to strengthen the capacity of rescue groups already doing the work.
For most people, that means donating. Animal rescue is expensive, continuous, and infrastructure-heavy. It requires shelter, transport, food, medicine, staffing, and long-term planning. Compassion is essential, but it is not enough on its own.
The best way to help animals in Vietnam is to commit to a recurring monthly donation. This helps us plan for the future and responsibly increase capacity via stable monthly funding.
Why should I donate instead of just reporting what I saw?
Because the sad truth is that reporting often leads nowhere, while funding can directly increase what rescues, such as VAAR, can do.
If people want fewer animals to suffer, rescues need more capacity. More capacity means more animals saved, more treatment provided, and more room to respond.
Should I make a one-time donation or a monthly donation?
Both help, but monthly giving is especially valuable.
Recurring donations help rescues plan ahead, cover regular expenses, and build more sustainable capacity. If you care about reducing suffering over the long term, monthly support is one of the most effective ways to help.
I don’t have much money. Can I still help?
Yes. We firmly believe that protecting the vulnerable is everyone’s moral duty, but we understand that not everyone has the same amount of time or financial resources. If you do not have funds to give, you can still help by sharing our work, joining our newsletter, amplifying our message, organizing fundraisers, or collaborating with us on awareness projects.
I don’t live in Vietnam and have time but not money. How can I support VAAR?
You may be able to help with local fundraising campaigns, awareness content, social media collaboration, blog writing, or other remote volunteer efforts.
If you were especially affected by what you witnessed in Vietnam, one powerful way to help is to work with us on content that documents these realities and encourages others to support animal rescue efforts. If you’d like to talk to us about this, please reach out via email.
I have money but no time. What should I do?
Set up a recurring monthly donation.
If your schedule does not allow hands-on involvement, financial support is one of the strongest ways to make a difference. It allows people already doing the work to keep going and helps build the rescue capacity that animals urgently need.
Can I foster or adopt?
Yes, and we would love to hear from you if you are able to foster or adopt.
Fostering and adoption can free up desperately needed space and directly help us extend our impact. We like to say that fostering and adopting save two lives: the one you rescue and the animal who takes their place in our shelter. At full capacity, this can make the difference between us being able to help another animal and not.
Veganism, Animal Ethics, and Moral Consistency
For VAAR, rescue work and vegan ethics are deeply connected. These questions come from people trying to understand why we speak so openly about anti-speciesism and why we believe compassion should extend to all animals.
Why should I be vegan if I love animals?
Because loving animals while paying for their suffering is a contradiction worth honestly examining. Many people feel devastated when they see a dog in pain, a puppy with an untreated wound, or animals packed into cages. But pigs, chickens, cows, fish, and other farmed animals also suffer fear, confinement, injury, and death at human hands.
If we oppose cruelty because animals can suffer, then that principle should not stop with the species we happen to like most.
Isn’t veganism too extreme?
We would say the routine suffering inflicted on animals is what is extreme. Veganism is simply a commitment to stop participating in that harm as much as possible. It’s not about perfection or moral superiority; it’s about refusing to look away once we understand what animals endure.
I don’t support dog meat, but I eat other animals. Isn’t that different?
The species is different; the suffering is not. This is one of the hardest but most important questions people can ask themselves. If it disturbs us to see one animal caged, transported, injured, terrified, or killed, we should be willing to question why we accept similar treatment when it happens to other animals.
What does “save an animal at every meal” mean?
It means that our daily choices matter. Every meal is a chance to either support animal suffering or refuse to participate in it. Going vegan is one of the most immediate and meaningful ways individuals can reduce harm.
I’m not vegan. Can I still support your work or collaborate with you?
Yes, of course! We know that not everyone arrives at veganism in the same way or at the same time. We truly value the support of our non-vegan donors, collaborators, friends, and followers. All we ask is that you respect our philosophy and understand that VAAR is unapologetically vegan and anti-speciesist. This is not a side issue for us; it’s core to who we are, and we’re vocal about it!
Working With VAAR
Not everyone can help in the same way, and that’s okay. Some people want to volunteer their time, some want to collaborate creatively, and others want to use their professional skills to support the mission. Paid roles at VAAR are occasionally available throughout the year. We try to alert volunteers to upcoming roles that match their skills and interests.
Can I volunteer remotely?
Sometimes, yes. We may have opportunities related to fundraising, content, outreach, or awareness building. If you’re interested in remote volunteering or collaboration, please email us.
Can I collaborate with VAAR on a blog or social media project?
Yes, especially if you have witnessed animal suffering in Vietnam and want to help turn that experience into something useful. Stories, reflections, images, and educational content can all help raise awareness and inspire support when handled responsibly and with the animals’ dignity in mind.
Why do rescue groups need fundraising help so badly?
Because rescue work is constant, expensive, and emotionally exhausting, and we don’t have much administrative capacity, yet most organizations are expected to do it on tiny budgets with very little institutional support. We funnel most of our funding into direct, on-the-ground impact.
People often see the suffering, but they don’t always see the infrastructure required to respond. Fundraising is not separate from rescue; it’s what makes rescue possible.
If you’re a grant researcher/writer and would like to share your expertise voluntarily, we would be very grateful. Please contact us.
How Local and International Businesses, Schools, and Other Organizations Can Help
Partnerships can play a powerful role in expanding rescue capacity, raising awareness, and building long-term support for animals in Vietnam. We welcome thoughtful collaboration from mission-aligned businesses, nonprofits, schools, community groups, and others.
General Information
We’re open-minded, creative, and eager to partner with businesses and other organizations that are drawn to our mission. We have a wide range of interesting ways that you can work with us, donate, or collaborate, and we welcome your ideas, too! Please reach out to us and let’s start a conversation!
I’m a local business in Central Vietnam. How can I support VAAR?
There are many meaningful ways local businesses can help. You might choose to become a corporate sponsor, host a fundraiser, sponsor part of our rescue work, donate goods or services, promote our campaigns to your customers, collaborate on an awareness event, or simply mention us on your website. Even small, consistent support can make a real difference when rescues are operating with limited capacity and resources.
If your business is based in Central Vietnam, supporting VAAR is also a way to strengthen local compassion and community responsibility toward animals.
I run an organization in Vietnam, but outside Da Nang and Hoi An. How can I help?
Even if your organization is outside our direct service area, there is still plenty of room for collaboration. You may be able to support us through fundraising, awareness campaigns, educational projects, digital collaborations, or by helping us connect with people who care about animal rights and vegan ethics. If your organization works with communities, youth, education, advocacy, animal rights, or social change, there may be a strong overlap in values and mission.
Not every partner needs to be local to be useful; sometimes the most valuable help is reaching new audiences and building long-term support.
I have an international business, and I’d like to help. What are my options?
We welcome support from international businesses that want to help reduce animal suffering in Vietnam. This can include direct donations, corporate sponsorship, recurring sponsorships, cause-based campaigns, percentage-of-sales fundraisers, staff giving drives, matched giving, remote pro bono work from your staff, or collaborative awareness efforts. International partners can play an important role in helping us build sustainable capacity, especially because rescue work requires ongoing funding rather than a one-time concern.
If your business wants to support ethical, compassionate, high-impact work for animals, we would love to hear from you.
I work for an animal rescue or animal-focused nonprofit in Vietnam. Can we collaborate?
Yes, absolutely! Animal rescue groups in Vietnam face many of the same challenges: limited space, limited funding, overwhelming need, and insufficient legal protections for animals. We believe collaboration is far more powerful than competition.
If you work for a rescue, sanctuary, or animal-focused nonprofit and would like to explore partnership opportunities, shared campaigns, cross-promotion, knowledge-sharing, or other collaborative efforts, please get in touch.
I work for an animal rescue or animal-focused nonprofit outside Vietnam. Can we collaborate?
Yes! We welcome collaboration with animal rescues, sanctuaries, and like-minded nonprofits outside Vietnam, especially when there’s strong alignment in values and a shared commitment to reducing animal suffering. International partnerships can help expand awareness, strengthen fundraising, share knowledge, and build the kind of long-term support that rescues in Vietnam urgently need.
Collaboration might include joint fundraising campaigns, cross-promotion, educational content, a blog-writing exchange, speaker events, grant partnerships, skills-sharing, or other creative projects that help animals and strengthen rescue capacity.
We are especially interested in partnerships that are practical, mission-aligned, and rooted in mutual respect. If your organization would like to explore working together, please email us with a short introduction and your collaboration idea.
I’m associated with an organization that holds similar values and would love to create a local fundraiser/campaign. Will VAAR collaborate with us?
In many cases, yes. If your organization shares values around compassion, justice, animal rights, veganism, anti-speciesism, or reducing suffering, we would be glad to discuss a collaborative fundraiser or awareness campaign. This could be a local event, an online campaign, a class or workshop fundraiser, a community challenge, a benefit night, or another creative project.
We are especially interested in partnerships that not only raise funds and expand our reach, but also help educate more people about the realities animals face in Vietnam and the urgent need for stronger rescue capacity.
I’d love for someone from VAAR to speak to my school, church, group, or organization.
Potentially, yes. We may be available for live or remote speaking opportunities depending on our schedule, capacity, and the nature of the event. Talks can be a powerful way to raise awareness about animal rescue in Vietnam, veganism, anti-speciesism, and the realities facing both rescued animals and the people trying to help them.
If you are interested in inviting someone from VAAR to speak to your school, faith community, business, nonprofit, student group, or other organization, please contact us with details about your audience, format, timing, and goals.
What kinds of partnerships are most helpful to VAAR?
The most helpful partnerships are the ones that increase our long-term capacity.
That may mean recurring financial support, strong fundraising collaboration, educational outreach, community awareness, adoption or fostering support, or help reaching new audiences who care about animals and justice. We are especially grateful for partnerships rooted in shared values, practical support, and a genuine commitment to reducing suffering.
How should businesses or organizations contact VAAR about collaboration?
The best first step is to email us with a short introduction to your business or organization, a description of the collaboration you have in mind, and whether you’re interested in fundraising, sponsorship, education, speaking, or another type of partnership.
We may not be able to say yes to every opportunity, but we are always grateful to hear from people and organizations that want to help build a more compassionate future for animals.
How to Stay Connected and Take Action
For people who want to stay involved beyond a single donation or message, there are several easy ways to remain connected to our work. Following along consistently helps build a stronger, more informed community around animal rescue in Vietnam.
How can I support VAAR right now?
There are so many ways to lend your support. Here are some of the most effective ways:
- Set up a one-time or recurring financial donation
- Learn more about adopting and fostering
- Join and share our newsletter
- Follow, share, comment, and like us on social media:
- Facebook: @vietnamanimalaid
- Instagram: @vietnamanimalaid
- TikTok: @vietnamanimalaid
- YouTube: @vietnamanimalaidandrescue8677
- LinkedIn: @vietnam-animal-aid
- Contact us to collaborate
Why should I join your newsletter or follow your social media?
Because we share weekly impact reports, shelter updates, and real information about the work involved in helping animals in Vietnam. It’s truly one of the best ways to stay informed, stay engaged, and understand how your support translates into real-world impact.
Final Thoughts
Many people write to us after seeing something they cannot forget. A dog in a cage. An injured animal left untreated. Birds, pigs, or chickens are transported in conditions that no sentient being should endure. Dogs confined for meat. Animals are suffering in plain sight while no authority steps in.
These experiences can leave people feeling helpless. But helplessness does not have to be the end of the story. If you care, there is a place for you in this work. You can donate. You can foster. You can adopt. You can share. You can write. You can help with fundraising. You can go vegan.
We cannot do this alone. Animal rescue in Vietnam is under-resourced, overstretched, and urgently in need of support. But every person who chooses to act with compassion makes this work stronger.
If you were moved enough to ask questions, you are already closer to the answer than you may think. The next step is action.
Help VAAR Reduce Animal Suffering in Vietnam
If this FAQ helped you better understand the reality animals face in Vietnam, please consider taking action today.
